Although it will only work on a few select types of shoots, I am seeing some RC hellicopter footage that is really good and vibration free. It seems like the capabilities of these video mission specific helicopters is steadily increasing and is already at an amazing level of sophistication. Pan, tilt, remote monitoring of the footage, remote operation of the camera, 15 minute endurance, etc.

While they have their specific missions, of course they don't take the place of a full size helicopter.

Unfortunately there are few companies flying them and the cost is about the same as a full size helicopter.

It's nice to see someone who understands where the RC helicams fit into the picture. We are one of the leaders in this area and it is always a struggle to quote work because people want to directly compare price and capabilities against full size aircraft. They are similar but very different tools. It's best to think of the helicam as a telescoping jib with a 300 foot radius.

Don't expect the prices for this to every come down much. A real professional who actually has liability insurance will have an enormous investment in time and money to provide good stable footage and must charge accordingly. This rigs are actually much harder to fly than their larger brothers.